What does it say about the pop culture of 2014 that the Associated Press had to pick one that came out in 2013 as its Entertainer of the Year? Despite hits like Guardians of the Galaxy and dominant musicians like Taylor Swift, the AP picked Disney’s 2013 smash Frozen as this year’s top entertainer.
The news agency received 47 ballots from AP members and subscribers, with Frozen earning 12 votes. Swift, whose 1989 was the biggest smash the music industry has seen since Adele’s 21 and Swift’s own Red, came in second with eight. Jimmy Fallon came in third with seven, tied with Matthew McConaughey.
Frozen opened on Thanksgiving weekend 2013 and went on to gross $1.27 billion worldwide, making it the top-grossing animated film of all time. A year after its release, dolls of Elsa and Ana beat Barbie as the toy most parents planned to get their daughters this season.
Singer Idina Menzel and the rest of the cast is even returning for a short that will be playing before Cinderella in March. (Although plans for a full-length sequel are still not set in stone.)
Directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, the film is based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. The directors told the AP that they are still stunned by the film’s popularity.
“I don't know if it's possible,” Lee said about trying to understand the film’s success. “I kind of hope it's not possible because this is a really great feeling."